How much does the Mecca alliance overlap with the projects that the USA and Israel have been working on in the region for a while, sometimes called the Arab NATO, sometimes the Middle East NATO, and sometimes the Sunni coalition? Today we will look for the answer to this question:
ISRAEL'S SUNNI ALLIANCE PROJECT
- Ami Ayalon, former head of the Israeli Internal Intelligence Organization (Shin Bet), asked for the establishment of a "Sunni alliance" in 2012: "If we accept the existence of Israel in the coalition led by Turkey, the major conflict in the Middle East will be the Sunni-Shiite conflict, not the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The Sunni coalition we will establish will be supported by the USA and us, and Israel will have created a force against the Iranian threat. For Israel in the next 10 years." "The establishment of the Sunni coalition will be a very important step. If Israel acts alone against Iran, it cannot be successful, but it can eliminate the Iranian threat under the umbrella of the Sunni coalition." (Arslan Bulut, Sunni Alliance was an Israeli project, Yeniçağ, 7.10.2026)
- In 2015, the "Islamic Alliance Against Terrorism" was established under the leadership of Saudi Arabia. However, it was not functional. Then, the following developments took place, showing how the USA and Israel were working step by step and in coordination for a Sunni alliance:
ALLIANCE MOVES OF THE USA-ISRAEL
- US Secretary of Defense James Mattis announced that they want to establish a "NATO-style regional alliance" consisting of Israel and the Gulf countries against Iran. (Israel Defense, YDH, 28.4.2017)
- The US administration launched the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) project. The White House and sources in the Middle East call the project, in which Sunni Muslim allies will form the umbrella structure, the Arab NATO (TRT News, 28.7.2018).
- The White House announced that Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates were recognized as the "major security partners" of the United States (Cumhuriyet, 16.1.2021).
- It was reported that Israel is negotiating with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to establish a "quadruple defense alliance". (I24News, Sputnik, 26.2.2021)
- US President Donald Trump ordered that Israel, which is in the US European Command's area of duty, be included under the umbrella of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) together with the Middle Eastern countries in order to encourage cooperation against Iran. (WSJ, Sputnik, 15.1.2021)
- First, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced that Israel had joined a formation called "Middle East Air Defense Alliance" established under the leadership of the USA. Then King of Jordan II. In his statement to the US broadcaster CNBC, Abdullah said, "I would be one of the first people to support Middle East NATO." (Deutsche Welle, 3.7.2022)
LAST STEP: MECCA ALLIANCE
And on August 7, 2026, the Mecca alliance was established. The USA was the first to congratulate the alliance established by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Republican Senator Joe Wilson celebrated the establishment of the alliance, saying, "Now is the time for Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to destroy the Houthis." The Mecca alliance was interpreted by the Americans as a part of "Trump's Middle East strategy". There was a sign of this in Trump's statement of support for the Mecca alliance: "I am delighted that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently and finally signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. This agreement shows how the Middle East is coming together and that countries can finally defend themselves in a more meaningful way."
When the Mecca alliance decided to take military action against the Houthis, US Senator Joe Wilson made the following statement: "I am grateful to our allies Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for mobilizing the alliance against the Iran-backed aggression of the Houthis. The Mecca defense alliance has the potential to become the NATO of the Middle East."
AFFAIRS OF THE USA
Journalist Nevzat Çiçek asked James Jeffrey, former US ambassador to Ankara and special representative for Syria, "What is your approach to the Mecca Agreement?" he asked. Jeffrey's response was: "It's a good idea, and we expect this step to bring about a few good things. America has a lot to do with both China and Iran. You understand some of our business." (Independent Turkish, 8.10.2026)
